Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature. Bardsley Charles Wareing Endell
too, gets his name familiarly entered occasionally:
“Hugyn held of the said earl an oxgang of land, and paid yearly iiis. vid.” – “The De Lacy Inquisition,” 1311.
Huggins in our directories is the memorial of this. But in the north of England Hutchin was a more popular form. In the “Wappentagium de Strafford” occurs —
“Willelmus Huchon, & Matilda uxor ejus, iiiid.”
Also —
“Elena Houchon-servant, iiiid.”
that is, Ellen the servant of Houchon. Our Hutchinsons are all north of Trent folk. Thus, too, Peter (Pier) became Perrin:
“The wife of Peryn.” – “Manor of Ashton-under-Lyne,” Chetham Society, p. 87.
Marion, from Mary, is the only familiar instance that has descended to us, and no doubt we owe this fact to Maid Marion, the May-lady. Many a Mary Ann, in these days of double baptismal names, perpetuates the impression that Marion or Marian was compounded of Mary and Ann.
Of familiar occurrence were such names as Perrin, from Pierre, Peter; Robin and Dobbin, from Rob and Dob, Robert; Colin, from Col, Nicholas; Diccon, from Dick, Richard; Huggin, from Hugh; Higgin, from Hick or Higg, Isaac; Figgin, from Figg, Fulke;9 Phippin, from Phip and Philip; and Gibbin, or Gibbon, or Gilpin, from Gilbert. Every instance proves the debt our surnames have incurred by this practice.
Several cases are obscured by time and bad pronunciation. Our Tippings should more rightly be Tippins, originally Tibbins, from Tibbe (Theobald); our Collinges and Collings, Collins; and our Gibbings, Gibbins. Our Jennings should be Jennins; Jennin Caervil was barber to the Earl of Suffolk in the French wars (“Wars of England in France,” Henry VI.). Robing had early taken the place of Robin:
“Johanne Robyng-doghter, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
Such entries as Raoulin Meriel and Raoul Partrer (this Raoul was private secretary to Henry VI.) remind us of the former popularity of Ralph and of the origin of our surnames Rawlins and Rawlinson:
“Dionisia Rawlyn-wyf, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
Here again, however, the “in” has become “ing,” for Rawlings is even more common than Rawlins. Deccon and Dickin have got mixed, and both are now Dickens, although Dicconson exists as distinct from Dickinson. Spenser knew the name well:
“Diggon Davie, I bid her ‘good-day;’
Or Diggon her is, or I missay.”
“Matilda Dicon-wyf, webester, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
The London Directory contains Lamming and Laming. Alongside are Lampin, Lamin, and Lammin. These again are more correct, all being surnames formed from Lambin, a pet form of Lambert:
“Willelmus Lambyn, et Alicia uxor ejus, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
Lambyn Clay played before Edward at Westminster at the great festival in 1306 (Chappell’s “Popular Music of ye Olden Time,” i. 29). The French forms are Lambin, Lamblin, and Lamberton, all to be met with in the Paris Directory.
All these names are relics of a custom that is obsolete in England, though not with our neighbours.
These are the terminations that ran first in favour for many generations.
This diminutive ot or et is found in our language in such words as poppet, jacket, lancet, ballot, gibbet, target, gigot, chariot, latchet, pocket, ballet. In the same way a little page became a paget, and hence among our surnames Smallpage, Littlepage, and Paget.
Coming to baptism, we find scarcely a single name of any pretensions to popularity that did not take to itself this desinence. The two favourite girl-names in Yorkshire previous to the Reformation were Matilda and Emma. Two of the commonest surnames there to-day are Emmott and Tillot, with such variations as Emmett and Tillett, Emmotson and Tillotson. The archbishop came from Yorkshire. Tyllot Thompson occurs under date 1414 in the “Fabric Rolls of York Minster” (Surtees Society).
“Rome, April 27, Eugenius IV. (1433). Dispensation from Selow for Richard de Akerode and Emmotte de Greenwood to marry, they being related in the fourth degree.” – “Test. Ebor.,” iii. 317.
“Licence to the Vicar of Bradford to marry Roger Prestwick and Emmote Crossley. Bannes thrice in one day” (1466). – “Test. Ebor.,” iii. 338.
Isabella was also popular in Yorkshire: hence our Ibbots and Ibbotsons, our Ibbetts and Ibbetsons. Registrations such as “Ibbota filia Adam,” or “Robert filius Ibote,” are of frequent occurrence in the county archives. The “Wappentagium de Strafford” has:
“Johanna Ibot-doghter, iiiid.
“Willelmus Kene, et Ibota uxor ejus, iiiid.
“Thomas Gaylyour, et Ebbot sa femme, iiiid.”
Cecilia became Sissot or Cissot:
“Willelmus Crake, & Cissot sa femme, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
In the “Manor of Ashton-under-Lyne” (Chetham Society), penned fortunately for our purpose in every-day style, we have such entries as —
“Syssot, wife of Patrick.
“Syssot, wife of Diccon Wilson.
“Syssot, wife of Thomas the Cook.
“Syssot, wife of Jak of Barsley.”
Four wives named Cecilia in a community of some twenty-five families will be evidence enough of the popularity of that name. All, however, were known in every-day converse as Sissot.
Of other girl-names we may mention Mabel, which from Mab became Mabbott; Douce became Dowcett and Dowsett; Gillian or Julian, from Gill or Jill (whence Jack and Jill), became Gillot, Juliet, and Jowett; Margaret became Margett and Margott, and in the north Magot. Hence such entries from the Yorkshire parchments, already quoted, as —
“Thomas de Balme, et Magota uxor ejus, chapman, iiiid.
“Hugo Farrowe, et Magota uxor ejus, smyth, iiiid.
“Johannes Magotson, iiiid.”
Custance became Cussot, from Cuss or Cust, the nick form. The Hundred Rolls contain a “Cussot Colling” – a rare place to find one of these diminutives, for they are set down with great clerkly formality.
From Lettice, Lesot was obtained:
“Johan Chapman, & Lesot sa femme, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
And Dionisia was very popular as Diot:
“Johannes Chetel, & Diot uxor ejus, iiiid.
“Willelmus Wege, & Diot uxor ejus, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
Of course, it became a surname:
“Robertus Diot, & Mariona uxor ejus, iiiid.
“Willelmus Diotson, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
It is curious to observe that Annot, which now as Annette represents Anne, in Richard II.’s day was extremely familiar as the diminutive of Annora or Alianora. So common was Annot in North England that the common sea-gull came to be so known. It is a mistake to suppose that Annot had any connection with Anna. One out of every eight or ten girls was Annot in Yorkshire at a time when Anna is never found to be in use at all:
“Stephanus Webester, & Anota uxor ejus, iiiid.
“Richard Annotson, wryght, iiiid.” – W. D. S.
As Alianora and Eleanora are the same, so were Enot and Anot:
“Henricus
In this class we must assuredly place Figgins. In the Hundred Rolls appears “Ralph, son of Fulchon.” Here, of course, is the diminutive of the once common Fulke. Fick and Figg were the nick forms:
“1 Henry VIII. To Fygge the taborer, 6d.” – Churchwarden’s Books of Kingston-on-Thames, Brand’s “Pop. Ant.,” i. 147.
The London Directory has all the forms and corruptions as surnames, including Fick, Ficken, Figg, Figgs, Figgess, and Figgins.